"But this particular year is City of Culture and we're going to make it bigger and better, a week-long family-fun packed event.

"So it's going to be a great week for the city, so come and get involved and dress up."

In preparation for the big parade, hundreds of local children are currently taking part in workshops across the city creating costumes and props to light up the night for a "fangtastic" feast of festival fun.

And according to Amanda-Jane Prow from the North West Carnival Initiative, even the parents are getting into the Halloween spirit.

"We are so excited about this year's carnival parade," she said.

"With the support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, we have been able to engage artistic director Kevin O'Neil to support the delivery of a highly themed carnival pageant which will see a very curious circus rolling into town.

"We have been working with over 600 participants drawn from local arts, drama and community groups from right across the city as well as professional carnival artists and organisations.

"Audiences should expect to see all sorts of curious sights and sounds, acrobats and dancing troupes, strange creatures and mysterious contraptions, and music that send tingles up your spine."

Now in its 27th year, the Banks of the Foyle Halloween Carnival is expected to draw thousands of people from all over Northern Ireland, and beyond, to the streets of Derry~Londonderry.

Arts Council NI's Noelle McAlinden said: "There is absolutely no doubt that it's an opportunity to connect with people not just within the city itself, but tourists across the whole island of Ireland really.

"This is a fantastic festival - it brings in a huge amount of attention and has done for years and this year 2013 it's definitely going to be the place to be."

The Banks of the Foyle Halloween Carnival runs from 26 October - 3 November.